Journey's End: Celebrating 25 years in sparkling style

journeys_end.pincushions_and_je_house_with_mountains.jpg — (Image credit: Credit Unknown)

published 16 November 2021

Journey’s End Vineyards, nestled among the Schapenberg hills in the Stellenbosch winelands, has always been committed to sustainably and ethically producing excellent wines for all occasions.

Journey’s End is delighted to release its first-ever sparkling wine to mark the 50th anniversary of South Africa’s Methode Cap Classique (MCC), the country’s premium traditional-method sparkling wine. Journey’s End MCC NV Brut Reserve also celebrates the winery’s own 25th anniversary.

The award-winning vineyard has worked closely with the Grier family of Villiera Wines, also in Stellenbosch, in selecting their NV Brut Reserve cuvée, which is made using the same varieties and method used to make Champagne.

The Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes are grown in cooler-climate vineyards in the Stellenbosch appellation and hand-picked early in the season. Whole bunches are pressed very gently in a pneumatic press according to a specialised Champagne pressing programme.

Only the finest cuvées are used in the blend, and yeast and sugar are then added for a secondary fermentation in the bottle which takes six weeks, producing light and magical bubbles. The wine is then matured in contact with the yeast lees for approximately 18 months, resulting in a fresh sparkling wine with a racy zestiness, crisp acidity and hints of delicate fruits.

Managing director Rollo Gabb says, ‘We are incredibly excited to launch our very first MCC this year. It’s a time when South African sparkling wines are gaining momentum and being recognised as delicious and premium alternatives to the more widely known Champagne, Prosecco and Cava, and we cannot wait to share ours.’

Journey’s End is also proud to have provided more than 1,000,000 meals to the local communities in the Helderberg region through the Journey’s End Foundation and its network of soup kitchens. The Foundation was started in August 2020, largely in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was recognised for its work when it was named Ethical Company of the Year 2020 by a drinks industry Green Award.

journeys_end.jef_soup_kitchen.jpg — Children at one of the Journey’s End Foundation’s soup kitchens.

Earlier this year, Journey’s End became a WWF Conservation Champion for its continuing commitment to sustainable farming and conservation of native fauna and flora. In September, Journey’s End announced that it had become a founding member of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable, a coalition whose aim is to create a global definition of sustainability for the wine industry.

Raise a glass of MCC, toast the festive season ahead and drink well, knowing Journey’s End is truly a force for good.